Why Iraq Is Crucial To U.S. Sanctions On Iran

Iraq, OPEC’s second-largest oil producer and one of Iran’s largest trade partners might come to enjoy even longer sanction waivers from Washington than the eight countries that scored a 180-day sanction relief last month. The reason: curbing Iran’s influence over its neighbor is a long-term goal, not something that could be done with sanctions inside a year, writes Natasha Turak for CNBC. Washington gave Iraq a 45-day sanction waiver, but analysts seem to be unanimous this will be extended because of Iraq’s overwhelming dependence on Iranian natural gas for its power stations. Iran already played the gas card once this year, when Baghdad was late with payments. Tehran turned off the flow, which led to power outages, which, in turn, ignited the protests that shook southern Iraq this summer. As much as the United States wants an Iraq less dependent on Iran, it does not need disturbances in Iraq, […]